


Flight Without Wings

by goldpeak



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Barn, Bisexual Dean, Castiel Has Nightmares, Castiel Has Self-Worth Issues, Castiel Has a Crush on Dean Winchester, Castiel Rides Horses, Castiel has Anxiety, Competitive Castiel, Confident Dean, Cuddles, Cuddly Castiel, Cuddly Dean, Dean Has Nightmares, Destiel - Freeform, Domestic Castiel, Domestic Castiel/Dean Winchester, Domestic Dean Winchester, Eventual Castiel/Dean Winchester, Fluff and Angst, Fluffy, Gay Castiel, Horse Shows, Horses, Human Castiel, Hurt Castiel, Implied Castiel/Dean Winchester, Jessica Moore Lives, Light Angst, M/M, Minor Jessica Moore/Sam Winchester, Outgoing Dean, Photographer Dean, Protective Dean Winchester, Riding, Slow Build, Socially Awkward Castiel, Supportive Dean, horse riding, jumping, stable
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-28
Updated: 2016-11-29
Packaged: 2018-09-02 19:24:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8680417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldpeak/pseuds/goldpeak
Summary: Horses are a human's way to fly without wings. At least, that's what Castiel's mother always said.Castiel first sat on a horse when he was five. His mother was a professional showjumper, and now, Castiel is too. He competes in cross-country, showjumping and hunter-jumper shows. He’s a world-renowned 3-day eventer, and his trained horses are in demand all over the world. He finds the best up-and-coming equestrians and grooms them to become the best riders they can be. An uncountable number of his students have qualified for advanced shows. A few have even made it to the Olympics.He hires photographers all the time – after all, he needs photos of sale horses to show his clients. But why does he fall for one of them? Dean Winchester is a new photographer desperate to get his work out there. His prices are so cheap that Castiel has to at least give him a try. What he didn’t expect is to fall head-over-heels in love with the man.





	1. one

“The photographer just got here. May I send him up?” Samandriel questions.

 

His lean frame is dressed in black jeans and a red t-shirt; a striped baseball cap is sat atop his fluffy brown hair. His green eyes are wide and a smile is across his face, as per usual. In his hand is a leather lead rope that's clipped to the bit ring of a flea-bitten grey gelding. The horse is fully tacked up, in his brown leather bridle and snaffle bit. The reins are draped over his neck and they rest next to the standing martingale. The martingale is attached to the noseband and the girth. The fleece-edged strap is tight around the horse’s belly. A shiny brown saddle sits atop his back. The white edge of a fleece half-pad peeks out by the pommel; a dark green saddle pad sits underneath it. The horse's ears have gotten tucked into a knitted bonnet that matches the quilted saddle pad. White tendon boots adorn the horse’s front legs.

 

“Yes, please. Did you warm Zach up?” Castiel asks as he sticks the Velcro on his riding gloves together.

 

He straightens out the buckle of the belt that he’s wearing. The black leather is threaded through the tan belt loops of his breeches. The pants are tight around his legs, all the way down to where they disappear under his chaps. The black leather has been zipped up around his calf and attached to his black riding boots. A dark green polo shirt has been tucked into his breeches; it's freshly-ironed. His dark brown hair's tousled and slightly sweaty. It’s not hot out, but Castiel has been riding all day so he’s a bit sweaty. His icy-blue eyes glance over the flea-bitten grey horse named Zachariah – nicknamed Zach.

 

“Walk-trot lunged. He’s ready to go. Careful, he’s a bit frisky today.” Samandriel pats the horse’s thick neck affectionately. “That’s usual, though. He doesn’t really show his age.”

 

The horse is known to be high-strung. He acts like a six-year-old stallion, even though he’s a 14-year-old gelding. He’s got talent though, if you know how to harness it, and that’s why Castiel bought him. He’s worked through a few training issues with the horse, and is now looking to sell him. The rider doesn’t need another personal horse, and he’s too high-strung to be a lesson horse. Castiel knows that he’ll make a great jumper for an experienced rider, though.

 

“Thank you, Samandriel.” Castiel dismisses his groom before placing his helmet back on his head.

 

Samandriel unclips the lead rope from Zach’s bit ring and walks off after the rider grabs hold of the reins. Castiel heads to one of his many jumping arenas, his hands holding tight to the reins.  
Hannah, Castiel’s assistant, is leaning on the white fence surrounding the rectangular arena. She straightens up as Castiel nears, smiling at him when he stops in front of her.

 

“Hey,” she says, turning around to unlatch the gate. Castiel offers a nod as a greeting as she opens the gate wide, allowing him and Zach to walk through. “Is that the photographer?”

 

Castiel finishes leading Zach through the gate before turning around. His eyes dart around, trying to find who Hannah was talking about. Sure enough, a tall man with a camera slung around his neck is making his way over to the arena.

 

“Yes, judging by the camera he has,” Castiel murmurs. He’s distracted, taking in the man’s appearance.

 

His green eyes are visible from ten meters away. They rest on a tanned, freckled face with pale lips and a wide smile. His hair is blondish-brown and fluffed up perfectly. It looks thick and soft – God, Castiel wants to run his hands through it. A black t-shirt is worn under a dark red cavass jacket, and his hands are tucked into the pockets of his pale jeans. His brown combat boots scuff through the dirt, kicking up the slightest bit of dust as he walks.

 

“He’s hot,” Hannah whispers, because the man is nearing their hearing range.

 

Castiel doesn’t reply, still transfixed by the man. He’s jolted out of his stupor when the photographer speaks up, after coming to a halt outside the shut gate.

 

“Hi, I’m Dean,” he reaches over the fence and extends a hand, which Castiel shakes with his own gloved one. “You must be Castiel.”

 

“You are correct.” Castiel clears his throat before speaking up. “Thank you for being punctual. As you can see, I have a jumping course set up in this arena as this is where I’d like to be photographed.”

 

“Yeah, I figured that...since, you know, you’re standing in it,” Dean remarks sarcastically. “Sorry, that was a bit smart-ass of me.”

 

A brief smile flits across Castiel’s features. “Nevertheless, you are correct. These pictures are going to be posted on this horse’s sale advertisement. I'd like at least one of each jump, and a few pictures of us flatting. You’re welcome to stand wherever you’d like to begin with.”

 

“Alrighty, then.” Dean ducks through the rails of the fence. “I’ll start with the first one in the course. Which one is that?”

 

“The gray vertical in the top right corner,” Hannah answers for Castiel. She then turns to the rider. “Do you want a leg up?”

 

The dark-haired rider nods. He unrolls the stirrups on both sides of the saddle before tacking the girth up one hole on either side.

 

Hannah cups her hands, her fingers laced together, and nods at Castiel. The rider gathers the braided reins up in his hands before placing one foot in Hannah’s grasp.

 

“One, two...three.” Hannah lifts Castiel’s left leg up and he swings his right one over Zachariah’s back. The grey horse tosses his head and steps forward, but Castiel pulls on the reins and he stops.

 

The rider places his feet in both of the stirrups and gathers the reins in his hands before asking for a walk. He walks in a large circle in the bottom left corner of the arena, before asking for a trot. A brief moment of warming up later, he nods at Dean from across the arena. He brings his left leg back and right leg forward as he clucks with his mouth. Zach springs into a right lead canter and they head down the left side of the arena.

 

Dean’s got his camera in front of his eyes, the strap is loose around his neck. One hand is adjusting the zoom by twisting the lens; the other is hovering over a big button on the top.  
Not breaking from a canter, Castiel pulls Zach in a circle before lining up to the first vertical. The entire course is 3’3 in height, and the oxers aren’t more than three feet wide. It’s easy, but designed to show off Zach’s ability to turn and his smooth lead changes.

 

Castiel adjusts himself in the saddle before locking his eyes on the jump and moving forward. He counts his strides and with a tap of his heels, Zach springs up and over the rail with inches to spare. Castiel hears Dean’s camera clicking the entire time he’s in the air. As soon as Zach’s front feet touch the ground his focus is set on the second jump. It’s all the way across the arena, by the gate. He moves his leg positon and clucks; Zach switches to his left lead and canters forward. Dean has moved away from the first jump and is a quarter of the way down the arena. He makes up for the distance between him and the next jump by zooming in the camera.

 

One, two, one, two...Castiel taps his heels to Zach’s sides and the horse springs over the jump. He puts pressure in the right stirrup and opens up the right rein while in mid-air. Those cues ask Zach to land on his right lead. He does, and as soon as they land Castiel is pulling him into a rather tight turn. They canter only a few strides before the next jump is in sight; a white vertical.

 

They soar over that and Dean’s camera clicks. The photographer moves out of the way and clears the path to the next jump, a green and yellow oxer. Castiel switches Zach to his left lead and gathers his reins, counting his strides. They pop over the jump and land swiftly on the other side. They canter on to the corner before turning to the left. They circle around almost 180 degrees and heading for jump number five. It’s a dark blue vertical with white stripes on the poles; with an immediate lead change after it.

 

Soon, he’s up and over and Zach lands easily on the other side. They switch leads and then, they’re riding along the other side of the arena. They're headed for a triple combination, two red verticals finished with a yellow oxer. There's only two strides between them all.

 

Zach pulls his head up to get a look at the jump, but Castiel’s focused on timing his strides. They clear the first vertical and cover two long strides before soaring over the second. Castiel shortens Zach’s stride and manages to fit three between the jumps. He taps his heels against Zach's side and he springs over the oxer. Castiel pats Zach’s neck as they come around the corner, heading for the last part of the course. It’s a combination of two verticals with a mere one stride between the purple jumps. He gives a bit of rein to Zach and the horse stretches out the slightest bit. He pops over the first jump and lands neatly, just to then shoot forward and soar over the last jump.

 

They land, Castiel standing up in the stirrups. He canters Zach in a loose circle as they slow down, soon coming down to a trot and then a slow walk. He pats the horse’s neck and heads toward Dean. The photographer has his camera slung around his neck again, and is clapping with a smile on his face.

 

“That was awesome!” He exclaims as Castiel comes to a stop.

 

Amused by Dean’s amazement, Castiel offers up a brief smile of his own. “How did the photos come out? Do I need to do it again?”

 

“Nope, I’m pretty sure I got a good one of you over both of them. As well as a few of you rounding the corners and on the diagonal between the third and fourth ones.” Dean nods. “I brought my laptop, I’ll download and touch them up and then send them to you here.”

 

“Very well.” Castiel looks over to his right, where Hannah is approaching. “I believe I will accompany Dean back to the barn. Would you please cool Zach off for me?”

 

“Sure thing,” Hannah says with a nod.

 

Castiel swings his legs out of the stirrups and jumps down to the soft dirt floor. Hannah buckles her helmet strap underneath her chin. She uses her gymnastic experience to mount from the ground. She does a little skip-jump maneuver, swinging one leg over Zachariah’s back. She gathers up the reins and tucks her feet into the stirrups before setting off at a walk.

 

They are both mostly silent as they head back to the barn, though that’s Castiel’s fault. He doesn’t exactly initiate conversation. He's been told that he’s not the best at maintaining it. When Dean does say something, Castiel answers with a one-word reply. It’s not out of rudeness that he does it, though. He has no hard feelings for the photographer, though. If he does have any feelings towards him, they’d be of the warm and fuzzy type. He simply has poor social skills. When someone competes at a high level like him, they’re often subjected to TV interviews. He’s learned how to put on a friendly facade for the interviewers and any potential buyers of his horses. Aside from that, he's his quiet and reserved self.

 

They enter the barn and Dean soon breaks away from Castiel’s side. A blonde girl with big, brown eyes is standing by the couch outside Castiel’s office. As Dean nears her she smiles.

 

“Hi, babe!” She exclaims, wrapping her arms around Dean. The photographer presses a chaste kiss to her lips as he returns her hug.

 

Castiel’s heart sinks, though he's not quite sure why.


	2. two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hannah makes Dean an offer that he can't refuse.

Of course, smoking hot Dean Winchester has a girlfriend. What did Castiel expect? It’s not like he’s planning on asking him out, or anything...right?

He shakes his head to clear his thoughts before he approaches Dean and his girlfriend.

“Hi, I’m Castiel.” He extends his hand to the girl, who shakes it daintily.

“I’m Amber, Dean’s girlfriend,” she says briskly before returning her attention to Dean.

The photographer has propped open his laptop and taken the memory card out of his camera. The little card is now inserted in the laptop.

“It’s good to meet you. If you two would like, you may do this in my office. My midday lessons are about to pour in and it’s going to get quite loud,” Castiel offers. He stuffs his hands in the pockets of his breeches as he waits for a reply. He feels like a shy schoolgirl.

“That’d be nice, thanks.” Dean grabs his stuff and stands up. Castiel leads them into his office and shuts the door behind them.

The room is large and square. The floor's made of polished concrete, but a gray rug covers most of it. The walls are pale wood panels that reach all the way to the ceiling, which is painted plain white. A wooden desk that matches the walls sits opposite the door. One fancy black office chair sits behind it and two simple black chairs rest in front. Against the middle of the back wall is a tall black wardrobe. A black leather armchair is to the left of the door, a little gray bookshelf next to it. To the right of the door is a small black couch with a gray coffee table in front of it. Shelves and ribbons adorn the wall; a small potted plant is in the farthest left corner of the room. A filing cabinet is in the farthest right corner.

“Very...color-coordinated,” Dean comments, sitting down in the arm chair.

“My apologies. I realize that my furniture is rather bleak. I do not spend much time in here.” Castiel walks around to the desk and sits down heavily in the chair. He huffs before taking off his helmet and gloves, setting them to the side.

“I don’t mind,” Dean shrugs, setting his camera down on top of the short bookshelf near him.

By then, Amber had sat down daintily on the couch. Her legs are crossed, her white skinny jeans hugging her skin.

The room falls silent and Castiel opens up his drawer, pulling out his scheduling book. He flips to the correct page and traces the lines of the gray writing as he mouths along to the words. He’s got eight more horses to ride today; three are greenies. The other five just need to be worked and schooled over some fences. He also has five lessons, so he can ride the five horses with his students. After that, he will need to take about three hours to work with the green horses that he’d been hired to train. Aside from that, he’s supposed to have a call with a potential buyer. Samandriel also said that he needs to go get some stable blankets for the new horses. Oh, and it’s supposed to be raining in under an hour.

“Woah, these turned out pretty good,” Dean exclaims happily. He keeps pressing one button on his keyboard rather rapidly. “Check em out.”

Dean stands up and walks over to the desk, circling around to stand next to Castiel. He sets the laptop in front of them and leans over, selecting the first photo. He’s a bit too close; his hip is pressing against the arm of Castiel’s desk chair. The rider doesn’t mind, though.

Castiel and Zach are mid-air over the grey vertical. Zach has his front legs tucked up neatly, his ears pricked and his eyes forward. Castiel’s hands are steady up his neck and he’s in a perfect two-point position. His heels are down and he can visualize a line between them and his hips. The shot is in focus, and the lighting is perfect enough to capture all the colors of the surrounding area. The background's blurred, and Castiel assumes that Dean did that while editing. A small white watermark is on the bottom right of the photo.

They scroll through the rest; Castiel murmuring words of approval. They’re all good.

“How much will it be for all fifteen photographs?” the rider asks, grabbing his checkbook from a desk drawer.

“Like we talked about, just $75,” Dean says. He transfers all the files onto an attached flash drive. Castiel scribbles out the check and Dean removes the drive; they exchange items.

“It was a pleasure doing business with you,” Castiel nods at Dean. “I believe I will give you a call again soon. I will need more pictures taken and you are extremely talented.”

“Thanks, man.” Dean smiles before he gathers up his things. He then leaves with Amber right behind him.

A faint smile graces Castiel’s face as the door swings shuts behind them. He likes this Dean boy...and will definitely be giving him another call.

But for now, the lessons aren’t going to teach themselves. He can hear thunder booming in the distance. He rises to his feet and turns around, opening the wardrobe behind him. He proceeds to remove two items of clothing, a long-sleeved dark gray shirt and a black riding vest. He pulls the bottom of his polo shirt out from where it’s tucked under his breeches, unbuttoning his belt to do so. He tugs the shirt over his head and flings it across the room, onto his couch, when the door opens.

He freezes, eyes locking on to the surprised green ones that are staring back at him. They flick up and down Castiel’s body before Dean clears his throat. “M'sorry. Uh, I forgot my lens cap.”

He walks over to the couch and lifts Castiel’s shirt off of the tiny black circle. He awkwardly waves bye to the rider and then leaves again, shutting the door behind him.

Castiel’s still for a moment, staring at the door blankly. Did he imagine that...or did Dean just check him out?

He snaps back into action; he pulls his shirt over his head, tucks it in, buttons the vest and buckles his belt. He grabs his helmet and gloves, and then puts them back on. He knows that Samandriel will already have the next horse tacked up.

He opens the door to his office and exits, making sure to shut it securely behind him. He can see Zach standing in one of the crossties, now in only a halter. Samandriel is currying his sweaty back, as it’s going to be too cold to rinse him off.

A bay Appendix Quarter Horse, named Ruby, is standing in the crossties. Her head is low and her ears relaxed. Black tendon boots are on her front legs. A dark brown standing martingale loops around her neck, connected to the girth and her bridle. The bridle is dark brown, with a flash tightened around her mouth. A D-ring Snaffle sits in her mouth. The braided reins hang around her neck, resting on top of her short black mane. She’s wearing a black schooling pad and an old white half-pad under her custom jumper saddle.

All of Castiel’s jumpers have their own bridles, bits, girths, boots and show pads. The ones that compete regularly have their own custom-fit saddles. It’s not like money is tight around here, anyway. The schooling pads and half-pads are shared throughout all the horses and students. Samandriel takes pride in color-coordinating all of the horses’ tack. No matter if it’s for a show or a schooling session.

A black nylon stall guard is hanging between the two crossties’ posts. It's there to keep the horses from walking off when their bridles are already on. Ruby is standing still, her tail swishing ever so often to brush off flies.

Samandriel sees Castiel and puts the curry comb down, walking over to his boss. “What happened with you and Dean a second ago?”

“Nothing.”

Samandriel narrows his eyes disbelievingly. “Sure, boss. Uh – Ruby is ready to go, and Garth is tacking up Werewolf now. Where should I tell him to meet you?”

Garth is one of Castiel’s newest lesson students. Despite that, he’s very good and Castiel enjoys teaching him.

“It’s about to begin to rain. Tell him to meet me in the indoor arena in no less than seven minutes. In the meantime, please put a half-sheet on Ruby. The temperature is dropping rapidly.” Castiel shivers as he speaks, rubbing his arms. “I may have to cancel a few lessons depending on how cold it gets. Do you know the forecast?”

“It’ll be in the negatives tonight, boss. Snow tomorrow afternoon.” Samandriel keeps speaking as he walks over to one of the shelves lining the walls of the barn.

He pulls out a black fleece half-sheet and returns to Ruby, ducking under the stall guard. He fastens the sheet on the horse’s back before taking hold of her reins and unbuckling the stall guard. She walks out with him, ears pricked in interest.

Castiel rubs his hands together in a feeble attempt to warm them before grabbing hold of the reins. “In that case, please tell Hannah to measure Gabriel and Gadreel for their blanket sizes. She can make a trip to the store and purchase some heavyweight ones for the winter.”

Gabriel and Gadreel are the two new showjumpers that Castiel recently purchased. They’re half-brothers, out of the same famous stud. They’re practically identical; they’re both liver chestnut geldings. The only difference is that Gadreel has a small white star on his forehead.

“You got it. Have a good ride,” Samandriel says before walking away.

The first lesson goes well. The temperature drops about five degrees, but both Ruby and Werewolf work up a sweat. They worked on low jumps, nothing over 2’6. They do a lot of grid-work and practice coming at jumps at odd angles. Garth does well; he only knocks two rails throughout the entire lesson. Castiel merely schools Ruby over the same fences he has Garth doing. It's rather embarrassing that he knocks three, while the lesson student only knocks two.

They return to the barn together, their horses walking on loose reins side-by-side. Garth has a toothy grin sported on his face and as soon as his legs hit the floor he’s talking again.

“I only knocked two rails,” he boasts to Samandriel as he backs Werewolf into one of the crossties. “Castiel knocked three.”

Castiel snorts from atop Ruby’s back before swinging his leg over her and dropping to the floor. Samandriel steps forward to take hold of her reins and he leads her away.

“Do recall that I only knocked the third one because Werewolf coughed and Ruby spooked at him.” A faint smile finds its way onto Castiel's face as he corrects the student. “Very good job today, Garth. I’ll see you Thursday.”

“Thanks!”

He rides Michael, his personal eventing horse, in a flat lesson with Claire and her horse Randy. They work on lead changes across the diagonal of the arena. Castiel practices them with Michael for fun, even though the horse is already an expert. The cold weather is making Randy frisky. The relatively green horse tosses his head and even bucks his way through a few lead changes. They pop over a few low cross-rail combinations before ending their lesson.

When they return to the barn, it’s pouring rain. The horses' coats are soaked from just the short walk back. It’s just under 40 degrees now, and Castiel is shivering in his cold, wet shirt. He hands Michael to Samandriel just in time to see Hannah hopping into her car.

She sees him and stops, beckoning with her hand. He holds up a finger to indicate ‘hold on’ before ducking into his office. He peels off his wet shirt and vest to put on one of his spare t-shirts. He takes his trenchcoat from his wardrobe and slips it on. He buttons up the front and ties it tight around his waist. He grabs his phone and wallet from his desk before getting into Hannah’s car.

“Gabriel and Gadreel are both size 79. I looked online and Bobby’s website says he has a bunch of heavyweight ones in that size.” Hannah turns her key in the ignition and backs her truck out of the parking lot. She turns onto the main road and speeds up, rain splattering down on her windshield.

“Very well.”

Castiel calls the remaining three students to tell them that he has to cancel their lessons. The rain is pouring down now, it's not safe to ride even indoors.  The three green horses that he was going to work will have to wait. They wouldn’t like being out in the rain and neither would Castiel. He plans on getting these blankets and tucking up in his office for the rest of the day. He takes the bus home, and the next one to his apartment isn’t until 6 PM. He normally doesn’t leave the barn until then, anyhow, so it’s not an issue.

They pull into the parking lot that serves a few stores. Bobby’s Horse Supply is the biggest one. It's placed in between a furniture store and a Panera Bread restaurant.

“Color?” Hannah asks once they’re inside. She’s sorting through the blankets hung up on the rack. Castiel is peering at the sport boots displayed on a shelf.

“Samandriel begged for Gabriel’s color to be light blue, so if they have one in that color, that’s fine. Gadreel’s color will be steel gray,” Castiel replies distractedly. He’s busy staring at an all-too-familiar person.

Dean is standing just outside the store’s glass door, his phone pressed to his face. His stance is tense and he looks annoyed, maybe angry. He speaks into his phone one last time before tapping at it to hang up what Castiel assumes is a call. He turns around and bursts into the store, a frown on his face.

His eyes lock with Castiel’s and a small smile spreads onto his face. He’s soaked to the bone, his phone held loosely in his hand. Despite that, seeing Castiel's familiar face makes him a little happier.

“What’re you doing here?” Dean asks as he walks towards Castiel.

“It’s a horse store. I ride horses.”

Dean opens his mouth as if to reply, and then shuts it and instead lets out a mild chuckle. “Right. Sorry.”

“What’re you doing here?” Castiel turns the question around on Dean.

“Uh...well, I and Amber stopped at Panera bread on the way home. I stepped into the bathroom and came out to see Amber pinning a guy up against a wall. She was sucking his face out, so...and then, she just drove off. I just got a call from my landlord saying that the power is out in my apartment, too.” Dean rubs his hands over his face and exhales. “Oh, boy.”

“Here, Castiel. I’ve got a light blue and a grey blanket.” Hannah does indeed have the two blankets slung over her arm. “Oh, hey Dean.”

“Hey. Uh, Castiel, do you know any hotels around here?”

Hannah answers for Castiel, “No good ones. But, why don’t you stay with Castiel? I’m sure he doesn’t mind. Right?”

She elbows the rider hard and he stumbles a bit before clearing his throat. “U-Uh, yeah. I don’t mind.”

“Well, if you’re sure,” Dean says quietly, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his coat. “It’d just be until my power comes back...”

Castiel just nods. Dean lets a smile spread across his face.

“Alright. I’ll drop you guys off at Castiel’s apartment after we’re done here, yeah?” Hannah offers, walking towards the checkout counter.

Castiel grabs a pair of burgundy open front boots from the sale rack and sets them on the counter. He pulls out his wallet from his trenchcoat pocket.

“That’d be very convenient.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a lot slower-paced than I intended...but I didn't want to exceed 2,500 words by too much. I hope you enjoyed it. I've loved seeing the lovely feedback on this story already - I didn't know so many people wanted Equestrian-based Destiel fics. :)


	3. three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean's staying with Castiel, and he just can't help himself anymore.

Hannah drops Dean and Castiel off at Castiel’s apartment before she heads back to the stable. She has to give those blankets to Samandriel before it gets too cold.

Water sprays up behind the wheels of Hannah’s truck as it speeds off. Castiel fishes his keys out of his trenchcoat pocket and unlocks the door. The two men step into the main lobby, drying their feet on the rug. Castiel leads the way over to the elevator silently. Dean shuffles along behind him a bit awkwardly.

“Hey, man. Uh, thanks for letting me stay with you. It’s just so cold out, and without heat in my apartment...” Dean trails off, shrugging. They step into the elevator after it dings open.

“It’s no trouble. Do you have any preferences when it comes to dinner?” Castiel asks. “It’s only 4 PM, but I plan on retiring to bed soon so I can head to the stable early tomorrow. I have to make up for the training I missed today.”

“I’m tired too, man, so it’s okay. Anything to eat is fine with me,” Dean says as the elevator doors slide open on Castiel’s floor.

“I wonder if anyone will deliver Chinese food in this weather?” Castiel ponders, speaking more to himself than to Dean. The rider unlocks his apartment door and the two step inside.

Facing them is a rectangular room. The wall directly in front of them is all window, looking over the city. Castiel has always liked to be in close proximity to anything he could need, so he bought an apartment in the city. It’s only a 20-minute drive from his barn, too, so it works out fine. The dark brown wood of the floors is a direct contrast to the soft cream color of the walls. Ribbons, photographs and mounted shelves adorn the room. A white oval rug in front of the window has a couch along one side; the tan suede gives the room a soft aura. A matching loveseat and an armchair are the other seats in the room. A dark brown coffee table rests in the middle of the arrangement. A very long, but short, bookshelf lines the bottom of the window. The white paint covering the wood of it matches the soft tones of the apartment. The ceiling's arched, with a large chandelier hanging down with soft yellow lights.

To the right is the kitchen, with an island and a lot of counter space. Standard appliances all fit in between the granite counters and the dark wood cabinets. To the left is a regular-sized, dark wood, round table with four chairs. In between the kitchen and couch area is a hallway that branches off into the wall. A similar one is set into the farthest left wall, too.

“Nice place,” Dean comments, toeing off his boots. He leaves them on the doormat, so as not to track mud into Castiel’s home.

“Thank you. I’ll sleep on the couch; you may take the bed.” Castiel walks off down the right hallway, Dean following after him.

“No, dude, it’s your house. You can take the bed, I’m fine on the couch.” Dean follows Castiel all the way into his bedroom.

It’s big, with a large floor-to-ceiling window similar to the living room. It’s rectangular, with a mirror-door closet and an attached bathroom. A bed rests in the middle, with white sheets and a tan duvet. A bedside table, a dresser, a desk and a few shelves sit around the room.

Castiel sits down on the edge of the bed and begins to unzip his chaps. Dean stands by the door, not quite sure what to do.

“If you’re sure.”

Dean just nods, even though Castiel isn’t looking at him. “Anything I can do?”

“No. However, thank you for the offer. I’m going to get changed and then order food. I don’t have a TV, so I apologize if staying here is dull,” Castiel says, kicking his boots and chaps to the side. “If you’d like some more comfortable clothes, I’m sure I have some that would fit you.”

“That’d be great, thank you.” Dean flashes Castiel a smile as the man walks over to his closet.

The tan breeches he’s wearing hug the muscles of his calves and thighs, all the way up to his ass. Dean realizes he’s staring, so he quickly looks away. He stares at the bookshelf until Castiel hands him a bundle of clothes. Black sweatpants and a blue t-shirt. That’ll be fine.

He takes the clothes from Castiel and his breath hitches when their fingers brush. Castiel’s rough, calloused finger pads brush over Dean’s thumb. The photographer feels silly for thinking it, but – God, he swears he can feel sparks.

Then, Castiel turns on his heel and walks back into his closet. “There’s a bathroom down the other hall. First door on the left.”

“T-Thanks.” Dean turns on his heel and walks out, his eyes a little wider than usual.

Castiel steadies his own breathing as he pulls out his sleeping clothes. He didn’t intend on brushing Dean’s fingers but– holy crap, he didn’t know his hands could get so tingly.

 _Great,_  he thinks to himself.  _You’re falling for a guy. Again. You swore you’d never do that. Also, he’s straight._

The rider swallows heavily before undoing his belt and breeches. He pulls the belt out of the loops before peeling the tight pants off his legs. He steps into a pair of grey sweatpants with some college logo on the legs, pulling them up to his hips. He takes off his trenchcoat and the slightly wet t-shirt, setting both to the side. He then tugs a soft, dark red t-shirt over his head.

He turns around, intending to go put his clothes in the wash. Only, he finds himself nose-to-nose with a green-eyed boy. He jumps back, clothes falling out of his hands in surprise.

“Did you see me n-,” Castiel questions, only to get cut off by a pair of lips crashing onto his own.

A surprised sound tears itself from his throat but Castiel leans into Dean’s touch. He wraps his arms around the photographer’s neck, fingers digging into the soft skin on the back. He finds himself getting pushed backwards, and then he’s pinned against the wall of his closet, and there are warm lips on his, and there are gentle hands skimming up and down his sides - and oh, God, he loves it. He hooks one leg around the backs of Dean’s knees, pulling the man closer to him. One of Dean’s hands becomes still on Castiel's hip and the other cups the rider's cheek. His soft fingers brush against the rider’s stubble and Castiel arches into his touch.

Castiel drops one of his hands from Dean’s neck to toy with the hem of the photographer's shirt. He pulls it up and Dean breaks away from him just enough to tug it off of his head. Castiel places both of his hands onto Dean’s chest, a soft moan escaping his mouth as Dean’s lips claim his own. The hand that Dean had on Castiel’s hip drops lower, sliding the waistband of Castiel’s sweatpants down the slightest bit. Castiel buries one hand in Dean’s soft hair, tipping back his neck and – oh, God, Dean’s sucking on his neck now. He groans helplessly, his eyes fluttering closed as Dean nips and sucks at the soft skin under his jaw. A few seconds of bliss later, Castiel pushes Dean back gently, his hand tracing along Dean’s cheek before he stalks off teasingly.

He calls over his shoulder, “What would you like from the Chinese place?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh. Destiel action. Finally. Castiel is a giant tease.


	4. four

“Are you kidding? Y-You’re not kidding.” Dean lets a breathless laugh escape his lips as he follows Castiel over to his nightstand. “You’re a massive tease.”

Castiel shrugs innocently as he grabs his phone, dialing the number that he’s memorized. “What would you like to eat?”

“Anything’s fine,” Dean chuckles, sitting down on the edge of Castiel’s bed. He’s still shirtless, and he catches the rider’s blue eyes flicking over him a couple times.

Castiel places his usual order before turning to Dean, looking down at the photographer. An expectant smile is playing on his lips.

The green-eyed boy reaches up and grasps Castiel’s shoulders. He pulls the shorter man down onto his lap. Castiel links his arms behind Dean’s neck and tilts his head. Then, he's pressing his chapped lips onto Dean’s. The photographer knots one hand in Castiel’s dark red shirt. The other finds its way to the back of Castiel’s neck, where Dean's fingers knead the soft skin at the base of it. Dean sucks the rider’s bottom lip into his mouth, nipping at it gently before letting go. Castiel pulls back just the slightest bit; the tips of their noses brush together. A smile is dancing across his slightly swollen lips, and his blue eyes are looking at Dean with an unexpected intelligence swirling in them.

“You moved on from Amber quickly,” Castiel notes, panting a little breathlessly.

“Mhmm.” Dean hums softly. “Your eyes are pretty.”

They’re quiet for a moment. Castiel's listening to Dean’s breathing, and admiring his green eyes. It looks like some moss from the densest forests, some leaves from the tallest trees, and some of the light from the brightest stars all swirled together, and somehow ended up on Dean’s face. He feels Dean’s bare chest moving against his clothed body; they’re both panting.

“I would kiss you again,” Castiel starts, his eyes trailing down to Dean’s lips. “Though, I fear I would not be able to stop.”

Dean flicks his tongue out and wets his lips, still staring into Castiel’s icy blue eyes. “I don’t think I could, either.”

“Then we’ll have to continue another time. The food will be here soon; they’re only located a block away.” Castiel stands up, running a hand through Dean’s hair. “You may want to put a shirt on before they knock on the door.”

Dean nods and gets up, pressing a kiss to Castiel’s temple. He walks over to the rider's closet to retrieve the shirt he threw onto the ground.

At that, the doorbell rings and Castiel grabs his wallet before making his way to it. He pays the deliveryman, giving him a generous tip for driving in this weather.

“Food’s here, Dean.” Castiel sets the takeout on the table. The light-haired boy emerges from the bedroom and takes a seat.

Castiel passes Dean the food that he ordered for him. Rice, chow mein, orange chicken, and cream cheese wontons. The boy gathers his food in front of him and grins.

“Thanks, Cas.” Dean pops open one of the containers and takes a bite of the chicken.

“Cas?” The blue-eyed rider questions as he sits down with his own food.

With a mouthful of chicken, Dean replies, “O-Oh, um. Sorry.”

“It’s fine. I don’t mind.”

They eat in companionable silence for the majority of the meal. It’s towards the end, when most of the food is gone and they start to feel full, when they begin to chat.

“So, pardon me for asking, but...uh, our little fun in the closet got me wondering. What’s your sexuality?” Dean says, biting into a wonton.

“I’m gay. Since you kissed me, but also dated Amber, I’m going to presume that you are bisexual?” Castiel asks. He pushes his food to the middle of the table after closing the lids on the containers.

“Yep. I haven’t dated a lot of women...I lean towards men, normally.” Dean finishes his rice. “Thanks for the food, man.”

“You’re very welcome.” Castiel stands up and gathers up their leftovers. He puts some away and throws out the trash.

When he looks up, he sees that Dean has made his way over to Castiel’s bookshelf. He’s looking through the titles, backlit by the setting sun, and Castiel smiles.

“Hmm. Ayn Rand. Nice,” Dean says, his finger tracing the spine of a red and gray book.

“Well, I’m going to retire to bed. I’ll head to the barn at 4.” Castiel leans against the back of his couch as he speaks. “You’re welcome to join me.”

“Do you need more pictures taken?” Dean turns around and walks towards Cas, stopping by his shoulder and, oh, now he's invading Cas's personal space just a little bit.

“No. I thought you may just want to come. Unless you have other plans?” Castiel asks, Dean’s breath hot on his ear.

“I’d like to come.”

Castiel swallows. “I-I’m going to be doing a lot of schooling. We leave for a show on Friday.”

“That’s the day after tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

“Do you need pictures taken at that?”

“Are you asking for an excuse to join me? Yes, I do, in fact.”

“I happen to be free.” Dean nips at Castiel’s ear and then ducks away, leaving Castiel staring after him.

“I’d like to have you there.”

“Good.”

They’re silent for a moment, just kind of staring at each other.

“You’re welcome to join me in my bed for tonight.”

“Blunt, aren’t ya?” Dean chuckles.

The two get ready for bed; Castiel gives Dean a spare toothbrush and a clean washcloth to wash his face.

It’s about 6 PM when they finally settle into the bed. Castiel’s tired, despite the time. Dean’s had a long day as well, so he’s happy to sleep.

Castiel rolls onto the right side of the bed, turning off the lamp and burrowing under the covers. He can hear the rustling of the duvet as Dean climbs in on his side, but soon it stills. The room is filled with the peaceful sound of their breathing. Castiel is almost asleep when he feels a warmth huddle up to his side.

Dean’s unknowingly rolled over in his sleep. His nose is pressed against the back of Castiel’s neck. One arm is draped lazily over Castiel’s waist and his legs fit perfectly behind Cas’s.

He stiffens up a bit, but soon relaxes into Dean’s touch. He reaches around with one hand and gently takes Dean’s fingers with his own. He then closes his eyes, drifting off to sleep soon after.

 


	5. five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas, Dean, Balthazar, Samandriel and Hannah all pack up and leave for a show. In which, Hannah has an OTP, Balthazar is a little shit and Samandriel isn't as innocent as he seems.

It’s Friday evening. The sun is dipping below the hills, casting a golden glow over the entire property. Trailers and parked cars are scattered around the dirt parking lot. People are milling around, some leading horses and some carrying tack.

A gentle breeze drifts over, rustling the leaves of the trees. A thick wave of dark clouds is on the horizon, hiding the rising moon.

Castiel is leaning nonchalantly against a truck. His hands are stuffed into the pockets of his black sweatpants. He’s wearing a white long sleeve shirt, but it’s hidden by the trenchcoat he’s slipped on over it. A scarf is wrapped around his neck, protecting his neck from the wind. That's not the only purpose it serves, though. It's also hiding the rather visible hickeys that one Dean Winchester has left on him. His black paddock boots are scuffing at the dirt impatiently; he wants to load the horses and go.

They’re about to leave for one of the most popular shows of the winter season. It’s two hours away by car, on one of the most advanced facilities in the area. Multiple guest barns, tons of arenas and an uncountable number of paddocks are all on site, among other things. And, an on-site hotel for the competitors to stay in over the weekend. Cas is scheduled to compete in numerous hunting, showjumping and a few cross-country shows.

He’s excited about that, obviously – the potential for good publicity and admirable amounts of money – but he’s also excited because almost all of his favorite students will be there with him. Claire, Alex, Tessa, Charlie, Jo and Kevin. As well as Samandriel, his groom. Of course his assistant, Hannah, will be coming. Also, his best friend and fellow rider Balthazar will be joining them as well. But, he’s most excited about the fact that Dean is coming, too. In fact, he’s already there – and he’s standing right next to Castiel.

The light-haired man is leaning against the truck, too. A heavy, brown, rain-resistant jacket is covering his jeans and t-shirt. A black backpack is resting against his feet.

“We’re ready to load, boss,” Samandriel says. He walks over to where Dean and Cas are standing. “Hi, Dean.”

The green-eyed man nods at the groom in greeting before nudging Cas. “Well, go get your horses!”

Cas smiles and steps away from the trailer, heading for the barn. Hannah emerges from the tack room with her arms full of bridles and boots.

“Who’re you bringing?” Hannah pauses almost mid-step to ask Castiel. “You’ve got five spots in the seven-horse trailer. I, you, Dean, Samandriel and Balthazar are all taking that one. I’m bringing Cookie and Balthazar is bringing Bolt.”

“Of my main horses, I already decided that I am bringing Grace, Michael and Ruby. I’m going to bring Gabriel as a backup jumper. Who do you reckon I should bring as a backup for cross-country?” Castiel pauses, tilting his head like he so often does when pondering something.

“Leviathan did good on his schooling last week, and I flatted him for you yesterday. He felt good.” Hannah looks over to the trailer. “I’ve gotta go. I’ll tell Samandriel that you’re bringing Levi so he can grab his tack.”

“Very well. Thank you.”

Castiel thinks for a moment. Gabriel is the newest horse, so he should load last so he can get off first. He knows that Bolt can go in the very front, with Cookie behind him. He’ll put Grace behind Cookie, Ruby behind Grace, Michael behind Ruby, and then Levi between Ruby and the last horse, Gabriel.

He’s beginning to confuse himself by thinking over the names so much. He jumps into action and goes to retrieve Grace.

The horse’s leather halter is hanging outside her stall. The mare is wearing her shipping boots and blanket that Samandriel put on her recently. Castiel murmurs soft words to Grace as he slips her halter on. The mare snuffles at his hands, huffing when she finds no treats.

Castiel leads her to the trailer and is pleased to find that Cookie and Bolt just loaded. Balthazar is standing by the side, warming his hands with his breath.

“Hey, Cassie!” the fluffy-haired man chirps as Castiel leads Grace into the trailer.

Cas quickly ties Grace's leadrope to the metal ring and makes sure her hay net is full. Then, he ducks out and latches the divider alongside the mare.

“Hello. I’m glad you’re on time.”

“When am I not?” Balthazar follows Castiel back into the barn. The dark-haired rider is heading for Ruby’s stall.

“You are always approximately 8 minutes late to everything. Could you please go catch Michael for me? He’s in turnout 3.” Castiel grabs Ruby’s halter and slips it onto the mare’s head.

“Only because he responds to his name!” Balthazar calls over his shoulder as he walks off. Castiel snorts with mild amusement and leads Ruby over to the trailer.

A short time later, Castiel finishes tying Levi’s lead rope to the ring inside the trailer. He hops down and Samandriel latches up the back. Everyone’s packed up and ready to go – despite that, they’re the last to leave. Claire, Alex, Jo and Charlie all left in the 4-horse trailer, while Tessa and Kevin left in of the 2-horse ones. They’re all scheduled to be there before ten; it’s almost 7:45 now.

“Shall we?” Hannah asks as she claps her hands together with finality. “Hop in, everyone.”

Hannah’s driving. Balthazar claims the front passenger seat, forcing Samandriel to get in back. The timid groom doesn’t protest, but then again, he doesn’t mind.

Dean slips into the middle seat, allowing Castiel to take the far left. As far as everyone else knows, Dean is just coming to take photos and not to keep Castiel company. That company is not limited to innocent daytime companionship, either. He reserved a queen bed in his hotel room for a reason. He doesn’t plan on telling his friends about his and Dean's budding relationship, either. Even if Dean’s still staying in Cas’s apartment, no one needs to know that. Even though the photographer’s heating is fixed by now, he hasn't gone home. Other than to bring a bag's worth of stuff to Castiel's house.

Dean covers Cas’s right hand with his own, hiding them behind the puffiness of their coats. Castiel leans into him slightly, not enough for the others to see, but enough for both of the two boys to feel.

They make it onto the highway fairly soon. By now, it’s almost completely dark but the headlights of cars illuminate the road.

“So, Castiel, why does the  _photographer_ get to ride with all the big boys?” Hannah teases.

Cas tenses up. Dean squeezes his hand reassuringly. “I thought it would be more convenient for both Dean and I if he was to ride with us.”

“It wasn’t a serious question, Cassie,” Balthazar chimes in. He twists around in his seat to look at the others. “Do you have a  _crush_  on him?”

Cas scoffs, turning to look out the window. He’s thankful that the dark of the night will hide the blush creeping up his face. “No.”

To remind Dean that he’s kidding, he squeezes Dean’s hand quickly. The photographer presses one of his fingers against Castiel’s hand to indicate that he understands.

“Then why are you two holding hands?” Balthazar asks, a smug smile on his face.

“Whaaat?” Hannah fake gasps, and Castiel can see her grin in the windshield. “OTP.”

“What’s an OTP?” Castiel tilts his head questioningly.

“Oh, nevermind! Just make sure you aren’t too sore to ride tomorrow.” Hannah winks at Cas through the rear-view mirror and the rider turns his head sharply to the side.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Do you want me to explain it?” Balthazar asks a little too happily.

“No, thanks.” Dean answers.

Samandriel lets out a snort of laughter.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda uneventful, kinda adorable. The next chapter will be painfully horsey, so if you don't like that then...too bad, because there'll be bits of Destiel buried in there that you're gonna want to find. ;)


	6. six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Balthazar scares Samandriel half to death, Hannah's mare wants all the boys, and Cas's hotel room has thick walls.

They arrive five minutes before the showground’s gates close. Hannah pulls the truck up along the edge of the dirt lot, not too far from the temporary stalls. They brought 13 horses so they rented an entire row. There’s 15 stallsin a row, so they’ll be using the extra two for storage and whatnot.

Cas is the first to jump out of the car. Poor little Samandriel had worked his ass off at the barn before they left, so he'sfast asleep when they pullup. Balthazar reaches around and grabs the groom's knee, shaking it wildly while screaming shrilly.

“Ah! What?” Samandriel jolts awake, limbs flailing. “Oh, my God. Balthazar, I swear to-.”

Hannah cuts him off with a stern but amused glare. Samandriel glances around the truck before grumbling something and hopping out.

A soft smile spreads across Cas’s face as he watches Dean step down from the truck. He stretches, his black backpack still slung over a shoulder.

He grins at Cas before indicating the trailer. “Go on.”

The rider nods and walks around to the back, watching Samandriel unlock the back. The blue shipping blanket that Gabriel is wearing is the first thing Cas sees.

“I’ll go make sure our stalls are in order. We’re row ten – the far-right end.” Samandriel pulls his phone out of his pocket and dials a number as he jogs off.

They’re parked in a dirt lot, surrounded by cars and other trailers. The two other trailers belonging to Cas’s barn are parked about twentymeters away. The horses are all out and grazing on the sparse grass patch off to the left. Their owners are all holding the respective lead ropes.

“Hurry up, Cassie! You know Bolt pees himself if he’s in the trailer too long.” Balthazar nudges Cas with his elbow.

The rider steps up to the trailer and moves the divider away from Gabriel. The liver chestnut gelding is calm; he looks to be asleep. Cas unties his lead rope and backs the horse down the ramp.

“He trailered well,” Hannah comments. “I hope Cookie managed to stay sane, surrounded by so many men.”

“Does she realize that they’re all gelded?” Dean chuckles, to which Hannah shakes her head with an amused sigh.

“Hold Gabriel, please.” Castiel thrusts the leather lead rope into Dean’s hands.

The boy’s eyes widen and his grip tightens. “Um, okay...”

Soon, Dean’s hands are gripping the lead ropes of Gabriel, Levi, Ruby and Michael. Cas is backing a blue roan mare out of the trailer while patting her neck.

The horse steps down easily and snorts as she looks around. Cas presses a soft kiss to her muzzle before taking Ruby and Michael’s leads from Dean.

“Follow me. Don’t worry about the horses, they’ll follow their friends.” Cas doesn’t wait for an answer before setting off to the stalls. He trusts Balthazar and Hannah to unload their own horses and to lock up the trailer.

Dean obliges and soon they’re standing outside their row of temporary stalls. They all look fairly large, and have a soft bed of shavings spread over the coarse dirt floor. The metal rails that form the actual architecture of the stalls is covered with a dark green tarp. The same type of tarp is draped over top of them, providing shade and cover from any weather. Each stall has a bucket for water and a hay net hung up, as well as a fold-away saddle rack and a hook for a bridle outside.

Samandriel is trotting towards them with -is that _nine_ binders in his arms? Yep.

He drops all of the binders onto the ground before turning to look at Cas. “Course maps, rules, times - everything. They're all in these. One binderfor you, one for Hannah, one for Balthazar and one for each ofyour students. Our stalls are set to go, and since you’re so  _high profile_ , they gave you _fricking_ nameplates.”

“Dude, you can just say _fucking._ ‘Fricking’ is weird,” Dean laughs. Samandriel looks rather horrified.

“Right. Um, I’m g-going to go help Klex and Aevin with their horses-s,” he stutters. Then, he speedily walks away.

“Did I offend that kid?” Dean asks, turning to Cas.

The rider lets out a brief chuckle. “No, Samandriel'salways been a bit off. He has a good heart, though. You may wait here, I’m going to go put Grace, Ruby and Michael into their stalls.”

Dean nods and watches the rider walk off, trenchcoat billowing behind him.

Grace’s stall is at the very end. An engraved wooden nameplate is hanging from a nail that someone managed to drive into the metal post. He opens the door to the stall, slipping Grace’s halter off her face and watching as shewalks herself in.

“Good girl,” Cas murmurs, patting her nose. He then proceeds to put Michael in his selected space, in the stall to the left of Grace's. Ruby’s nameplate is hanging on the stall to the left of Michael’s.

When he returns to Dean, the rest of his students are heading this way with their horses. He takes the two last lead ropes from Dean and walks back to the stalls, quickly putting Levi and Gabriel away. Levi and Gabriel don’t have their own nameplates, as they were last-minute decisions when it came to who Castiel was bringing. He suspects that Samandriel called and told them that he was bringing Grace, Michael and Ruby for certain.

Cas then walks over to the pile of binders on the floor. He sorts through them until he finds the one with his name on it. He’s looking through it when he feels warm fingers kneading at his palm.

He looks to the side and sees Dean standing next to him, a tired smile on his face. He’s got his own backpack on his shoulders, but he’s also holding Cas’s gray duffel bag that he probably got from the back of the truck.

“Thanks for getting my bag,” he murmurs, leaning up and pressing a kiss to Dean’s jawline. The younger boy hums in response.

“What’s the schedule like?” Dean questions, leaning over Cas’s shoulder to glance at the open binder.

“Tomorrow is all the hunter rounds. Sunday is cross country, and then Monday is jumpers.” At Dean’s confused glance, Cas explains, “They can have rounds on Monday because hardly anyone who’s showing here is in school still. If they are, they’ll have to take the day off from their classes.”

“Ah. What time is the first thing tomorrow?” Dean’s finger traces the text on the page.

“Breakfast opens at 4. The first hunter’s class of the day is a 2’ schooling round. Claire is schooling Randy in it and I am going to enter Gabriel in it to see how he does. There’s 12 people participating, the first round is at 6 AM. We can eat breakfast and then check out the course around 5. We should be back here around 5:45. Claire’s round is scheduled for 6:30, and I’d like to watch her tack up and give her a few pointers beforehand.” Cas pauses before turning to Dean. “That is, if you wouldn’t mind getting up at 4 AM.”

“Hey, as long as I get my 4 hours, I’m good. Besides, I’m the one that wanted to come here, right?” he chuckles.

“Right.” Castiel glances around, dismayed to see that his students and friends are milling around near them – he can’t kiss Dean without fear of being seen. “I’m going to check in with Samandriel and then we can go find our room.”

Dean nods, releasing Cas’s hand as the rider walks off. Samandriel is setting up popup blanket racks outside the stalls while Hannah drags her tack box over to Cookie’s stall. Samandriel already appears to have brought Cas’s tack box over from the trailer.

“I took off Grace’s shipping gear and put her heavyweight on. I’m about to do that with the others, too. What time is your first hunters class tomorrow?” Samandriel stops wrestling the metal rack to turn to his boss.

“That reminds me, please enter me and Gabriel in the 2’ schooling hunters class for tomorrow morning. Text me my class time, I will be down by the stalls 30 minutes beforehand so I have ample time to warm up. I am showing Ruby in the 2'6 hunters; please have her ready by 9:30.” Castiel nods at Samandriel. “Thank you. Goodnight.”

The groom waves at Castiel as he walks off.

“These hotel rooms have fairly thick walls,” Cas whispers in Dean’s ear as he passes him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you it'd be horse-y. Um, next chapter will have the hunter classes...unless you guys want smut. Do you? Let me know in the comments.

**Author's Note:**

> Oh goodie. I do hope that none of the horse terminology is too confusing for any non-equestrians. Sorry there isn't too much Destiel action in this chapter. If you're confused about any words, just look them up. None of them that I used are too advanced.
> 
> I hope you liked this chapter. More coming soon. Leave a comment telling me what you thought!


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